Moldova is equal to grapes: the land with a precious vine covers almost the entire territory of the country, and the production of a sipping drink is conducted here with a state scale .The Moldovan wines are tender, fragrant, light and filled with some kind of native taste - maybe there are all the French "appellations" and flatter snobbery of high "cocks", but for our Slavic soul to drink Moldovan wine - it's like putting cozy slippers in peak of expensive but uncomfortable shoes .The recent ban on the import of Moldovan alcoholic beverages to Russia has been happily removed, and now the inhabitants of our vast with the full right and without fear of transgressing the law can enjoy the well-known from the Soviet times the taste of Moldova's wines .It is clear, however, that the assortment of wine products on the spot is more than many times that that presented on the shelves of domestic supermarkets and showcases of enotec; In addition, there are many names in Moldova "for themselves" - often more outstanding in taste than imported beverages .Why not visit Moldova wine - and try and see and buy a valuable product? Fortunately, wine tours are one of the main components of the Moldovan "excursion": on the official website of the tourism of Moldova there are 144 enterprises ready to open the doors of their wineries for tourists .

Tours are small ...

For starters, let's turn to the mini-version of the wine tour: visiting wine shops, cellars and underground wine cities .Travel agencies in Moldova offer a variety of half-day and one-day excursion trips to the famous distilleries - large in the republic about fifteen, among them truly national treasure - the 200 km wine cellars of Cricova and Lesser Milestes, as well as the collections of the National College of Viticulture and Wine-making in Stavchin, the National Institute grapes and wine in Chisinau, wine companies of the largest enterprises Vismos and Aroma, wineries in Ialoveni, Balti, Peresecina and t .д .Collections have from 10 thousand to 1 million bottles, the contents of which are largely unique: in Cricova, for example, you can see part of the collection of Goering and a rare Jewish religious wine of the early 20th century .To try, of course, they are impossible, but some collectible specimens can be purchased .The price, however, will also be collectible .To tasting are offered several modern wines - while tourists are taught to understand the shades of taste and even independently determine the grape variety from which the drink is made .

... and large,

For those who wish to learn more about Moldovan viticulture, longer excursions are offered - from two to five days. It should be noted that in such programs visits to wineries are "broken" by visiting historical sites and visiting ethnographic villages - thus, the route turns out not only diverse, but also helps to learn more about certain traditions of Moldovans, again reflected in winemaking .

Wine tours in Moldova, basically, start with a visit to the educational institution, where future winemakers are trained .The local guide will tell you about the history of Moldovan viticulture and modern technologies, raw materials and the main stages of wine production, the division of wines into classes and the distinctive features of each category..(Tasting is not conducted in order not to defrock tourists at the very beginning of the way .) Then the route continues to one of the famous wineries: Cricova, Malye Milesti, Braneshti cellars .Here you can wander through the many-kilometer wine cellars and see the rarest collection of wines .The production premises are closed to visitors (knowing our brother, a tourist who is able to unscrew some cranes and curious levers out of curiosity) - however, you can view the wine hall from a special "observation platform" .The guide will tell you why you need some kind of vats, "towers" and distillers, and sightseers can literally trace the way of the grapes: from unattractive mess-mash to a noble ruby ​​drink .

Then it is suggested to go to the tasting room and under the strict guidance of a specialist to try different varieties of this enterprise's wines .Each drink is served in a disposable cup for 20 grams - by the way, it is not necessary to swallow the wine according to the rules of the sommelier - it is enough to "chase" it over the mouth, make gentle rinsing movements, feel the fragrance and spit out (!), Then lightly mumble the tongue to assess the aftertaste .Well, of course, far from the commerce the tourist swallows wine - to admit, we also did not dare to spit out a valuable drink .At the same time, the "ruff" can be avoided: the offered wines are more or less one "degree" and sweets, so they are assimilated perfectly (not least thanks to the life-giving air of the Moldovan valleys) .After that, the excursion is much more animatedly going on towards the archaeological monuments of the country: ancient monasteries and churches, nature reserves and museums of folk crafts, but without detachment from the "alcoholic" theme, as the route lies among picturesque vineyards .

brandy-champagne ..

There are also more specialized programs for wine tours in Moldova: for fans of sparkling wines circling the head, or, conversely, adherents of a heavy noble aroma of strong drinks .The north of the country is famous for the production of "divins" - Moldovan cognacs .Their history, although not as long as that of the "older brothers" from the city of Cognac - the divins were born at the end of 19 in the distilleries of Chisinau and Kalarash - but no less interesting is .Here there are a lot of varieties of cognacs ("better, of course, five stars") - from the youngest, three-year ("3 stars"), the color of weak tea and the popular five-year ("5 stars") with a rich amber tint to 20 year old drinks .

Among the outstanding are the King of the Divines: the 40-year-old "President". The most famous Moldovan cognac factories are open to visiting: Barza Abla in Balti, Calarasi-Divin in Kalarash and Aroma in Chisinau. "Uncork champagne bottle or read" The Marriage of Figaro "" is offered in the south of Moldova, where well-known enterprises for the production of sparkling wines are located. Sampani wineries "Kirsovo", for example, were highly appreciated by Champagne wine-makers - they use a special kind of wine yeast-endemics, causing those blessed bubbles.

... and therapeutic

Well, to finish the wine tour in Moldova you can again wine and this time more for the body than for the soul: in the specialized sanatoriums Kamenka, Calarasi, Vornichenya, Cahul, tourists are offered courses of uvotherapy (treatment of grapes and grape juice and grape must) and enotherapy - wine treatment. The products of the vine slow down the aging process of the body cells, prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis and have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. And the mood is raised! ;-)

Wine cellar

Vineyards of Moldova - $

The future wine in the markets of Moldova is